This a press release from last year. It's interesting to note that one of the co-chairs of the Search Committee, in the same Shelboo manner, became the Dean of College of CoEP.  When is there ever going to be a true outside search????

Released February 7, 2003

DEAN'S SEARCH COMMITTEE FINALIZED
FOR COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY

HATTIESBURG - A diverse cross section of faculty, staff, students and community members has been tapped by The University of Southern Mississippi to select a dean for the College of Education and Psychology.

The College of Education and Psychology is one of the new colleges created by the recent academic restructuring at Southern Miss, which will streamline nine existing degree-granting colleges into five. The realignment will begin next fiscal year, July 1, 2003.

"The search committee for the dean of the College of Education and Psychology is loaded with talented, accomplished and dedicated faculty, staff, students and stakeholders," said Dr. Tim Hudson, Gulf Coast provost. "We appreciate their willingness to commit time and effort to this important process."

Hudson said that once the committees have reviewed applications, a small number of candidates will be invited to Southern Miss in the late spring for interviews and to meet with all interested faculty, staff, students and supporters. The search committee, one of five overall, was formed with volunteers and through nominations by staff and faculty, including chairs and directors.

"We are excited about the strength and perspective that all members bring to their committee," said Dr. Jay Grimes, Hattiesburg provost.

Dr. Willie Pierce and Dr. Ann Blackwell will serve as co-chairs for the committee. Pierce, director of the Center for Adult Learning and Education, said he is confident that a highly qualified group of candidates will emerge from the search.

"I am looking forward to a search that assures input representing all of the academic and service areas of the reorganized college and that results in the selection of the very best fit possible," he said.

The new College of Education and Psychology will consist of educational leadership and research, curriculum, instruction and special education, technology education and psychology, all currently in the College of Education and Psychology; library and information sciences, currently in the College of Liberal Arts; family and consumer sciences education, child and family studies, family and consumer studies, early intervention, and marriage and family therapy, all currently in the College of Health and Human Sciences.

"The search committee offers an opportunity for colleagues from many different disciplines to work together and identify the best possible candidate for the dean's position," said Blackwell, assistant professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences.

The search committee represents a wide range of strengths, interests and backgrounds. Members include:

– Wanda Maulding, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Administration. Maulding is the new chair of the Division of Education and Psychology on the Gulf Coast campus.

– Stan Kucjaz, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology since 1996. His research interests have broadened to include dolphin cognition and communication, and the results of his work have been featured on the BBS, the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

– Jesse Palmer, professor of curriculum instruction and special education. Palmer, who has served 17 years at Southern Miss, is a past president of the Faculty Senate.

– Ann Blackwell, assistant professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences. Blackwell is the recipient of the university's Excellence in Teaching Award and has co-authored a manual on college teaching.

– Joy M. Greiner, associate professor in the School of Library and Information Science. The director of the school from 1991-99, Greiner has secured more than $100,000 in grants for student internships/assistantships from the Gates Foundation and Forrest County Law Library.

– Mitch Berman, associate professor of psychology and the director of Clinical Training for Southern Miss's clinical psychology doctoral program. Before joining the faculty at Southern Miss in 1996, Berman was an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University Medical School.

– Steve C. Yuen, professor of technology education and the lead professor for the instructional technology program at Southern Miss. Yuen was a senior Fulbright Scholar to Taiwan in 1992-93 and was named the "2002 Mississippi Technology Educator of the Year" by the Mississippi Educational Computing Association.

– W. Lee Pierce, coordinator of Graduate Programs in Adult Education and the director of the newly created Center for Adult Learning and Education. Pierce has been associated with the graduate program in adult education at Southern Miss for more than 27 years.

– James Whorton, professor of curriculum instruction and special education. After teaching in the Department of Special Education at the University of Florida for 11 years, Whorton came to Southern Miss in 1980 as chair of the Department of Special Education.

– John Harsh, professor of psychology. A member of the Southern Miss faculty since 1979, Harsh is the head of the Southern Miss Sleep Research Laboratory.

– Dana Thames, professor and chair of the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education. Thames is the recipient of numerous grants and training contracts, including a recent $135,000 grant award by the National Science Foundation Grant Summer S.C.I.E.N.C.E Program.

– Susan King, administrative secretary in the Department of Psychology. An active member in the Alumni Association and Eagle Club, King has held many positions of leadership in the Association of Office Professionals and the Staff Council.

– J.T. Johnson, director of the Center for Research and Support in the office of the vice president for research. Johnson also holds an academic appointment in the Department of Educational Research.

– James Hutton, superintendent of the Petal Public School District.

– James Davis, superintendent of the Hattiesburg Public School System.

– Kay Clay, superintendent of the Forrest County Public School District.

– Hank Bounds, superintendent of the Pascagoula Public School District.

– Holly Senn, a senior undergraduate student majoring in child family studies. Senn is a dean's list scholar and has recently been selected for Who's Who Among American University students.

– Chris Ward, doctoral student in psychology. Ward, who earned an undergraduate degree from Southern Miss, is a former president of the Graduate Student Association.